Longer Screen Time for Charge Trackers

[SunsetRunner]

I purchased my charge 3 after seeing it would have a Screen Time out Option.  It shipped without one.  Moderator Kate says it’s not available at this time.  The manual is now being changed to reflect that.

I really, really want/need that option.  It was the reason I chose the Charge.  That and my 50’s year old eyes.  The current screen only stays on for 3-4 seconds.  That is a very short amount of time.  I have to repeated tap the screen to read a text that comes in.  IF we are going to have the ability to get notifications, we need the ability to read them.

Please Fitbit, give us the option that was originally in the manual to change the screen time out.  The Versa has it, so I know it can be done.

Moderator edit: Title

[Pop-Pop-Moose]

Below is my latest letter to Fitbit:

I am STILL WAITING for someone to address the screen timeout PROBLEM! Everyone online is complaining about it and Fitbit is totally and blatantly disregarding the people who paid top dollar for their trackers. When $30 trackers are reportedly out performing a $150 tracker, that's bad. When the company making the $30 tracker resolves problems quickly and the company making the $150 tracker sits back and says let's change the manual rather than fix the problem, that is a TRAVESTY! In other words, the company selling the $30 tracker is saying "How can we do better?" and the company selling the $150 tracker is saying "We got your money, SUCKERS!"

I'm sharing this letter in the forums, on social media and forwarding it to every news outlet I can find. It's been over a year and no one at Fitbit cares, so maybe now someone will???

[Daykin]

How about sharing it with feedback & reviews on Amazon & in relevant magazines & Web sites? 

[Pop-Pop-Moose]

I would post it on Amazon, but I bought it at Wal-Mart. I can review it there. Thanks for the idea!

[Shea1969]

OMG, seriously, stop.  This has been going on since last October.  We can write negative reviews on Amazon, Best Buy or any other site (done), write to the BBB (done), complain on Twitter (done) and Consumer Affairs (also done) but Fitbit doesn't care. They are laughing at us.   I think we should all just drop this post.  They are not going to make any updates to the Charge 3 nor are they going to even give us the courtesy of telling us they can't/won't make the update. They won.  However, big lesson learned.  The consumers on these 33 pages will never buy another Fitbit product and will continue to inform others of the lousy treatment by this company every chance we get.  

[Robidb]

Absolutely!!!!

[SunsetRunner]

Liking the Mi Band 4, but am going to give the Honor Band 5 a try.

Fitbit who?

[Tynesider]

I wrote a review on Amazon even though I didn't buy it from there,it just won't have " Verified Purchase" next to the review.

Shea1969 is right though Fitbit don't care about the consumers,

[Aimeelou]

I also bought the C3 in part because the manual stated that you could adjust the screen timeout.  3 secs is way too short, and lack of the ability to customize is odd for a wearable today. It's very confusing to me why Fitbit has not either fixed this or explained why they cannot/will not.  Please give us a definitive answer, Fitbit, so that we stop wasting our breath and energy complaining about it.  Let people know what's up so they can make their choice accordingly. 

[Pop-Pop-Moose]

My last post, a few hours ago, was deleted for some reason. Hmmm? I had cut and pasted the latest email from Fitbit, where they said that they are "NOT" going to implement the screen timeout adjustment "FEATURE".  Of course they also said they would look into implementing this on the other Fitbit models. They weren't smart enough to know that all the other models already have this "FEATURE". In other words, they are telling us to POUND SALT!  They are definitely not very nice, nor educated, individuals. I will continue letting everyone know to avoid Fitbit like the plague.

[whybenorm]

Pop-Pop-Moose:  I too have had posts deleted.  I never received an email saying you posted to this thread so they must have taken it down quick or never even approved it at all.  I went to the BBB and instead of giving an update as I had hoped and asked, they offered to refund my money.  If they aren't going to fix it they need to TELL ALL OF US so we don't keep waiting.  I found it sad that rather than admit to the mistake of releasing it without the feature they said it had or trying to fix it, they'd rather lose me as a customer.

[jennifer2882]

@whybenorm that is an interesting idea.  Was your complaint to the BBB specifically about the issue with lacking screen time?  I think I try this route as well.

[whybenorm]

Jennifer2882:  It did no good, they wouldn't even tell me what they told Pop-Pop-Moose: that they are NOT going to fix it.  They would rather lose me as a customer than tell me that.  I'm sure whoever wrote him that will probably get in trouble for admitting it since they have not stated that publicly. I had been hanging on to hope that they would fix it, since it would be such an easy fix but they don't seem interested in any of their "old" products.  That is why they will get no more of my money: lack of support.  We just wanted what they said would be included in our devices: an adjustable screen time.  Leaving us hanging since it's release and not even telling us about the progress or that the decision has already been made to NOT fix the problem the released it with shows a complete disregard for the customer.  I will vote with my money elsewhere.

[OcalaGregB]

YES Screen display needs to be longer and adjustable. The current timeout is too fast and is nearly unusable..

[Sammie1966]

Nearly ??? It is bad ! Will not be fixed ever ! Fit bit is not responding at all !!!
Get your complains over to other communitys en revieuws !!

[Pop-Pop-Moose]

I just posted a detailed, 1 star,  review on Amazon. I'm hoping it gets approved as a warning to other customers.

The person who told me that they were NOT going to fix it, had this tag line.

"Jerome Carlo and the Fitbit Team"

[Dibs76]

Well I should have done my homework. Just bought The Charge 3 because my Alta HR bit the dust. First thing I noticed was the ridiculously short screen time. I contacted Fitbit support and got absolutely no where. So disappointed!

[AdrianCezar]

Shame Fitbit !

A.C.S. Trimis de pe iPhone XS

[Osotoh]

I attempted to review the Fitbit Charge 3 on Amazon and was told it could not be posted as it didn't adhere to guidelines, part of which said reviews should focus on the product, not the seller. So I went back to edit the review and Amazon then said that due to abnormal activity the reviews would be limited to verified purchases. So I expect the increase in negative reviews has been noticed. Too bad Fitbit doesn't notice.

I did purchase the Xiaomi Mi Band 4, Nice tracker (especially for $34) with bright display, but it unfortunately stays on only a few seconds longer than the Charge 3 and does not have a watch face, so not the answer for those taking pulses.

[AdrianCezar]

XIAOMI IS the best !

These bracelets are unjustifiably expensive I will return this month and I will buy XIAOMI MI 4 which at ¼ of this price does more. FITBIT Shame I also mention that there are big sync problems with Apple's health application, more precisely, I do not sync the data with Apple's alternative port and Apple Watch 4 and simply FITBIT refuses to synchronize data with Apple. Besides the strap there is no argument for buy this bracelet
Trimis de pe iPhone XS

[Pop-Pop-Moose]

It took several days but my review finally went live.

[Sammie1966]

Keep on posting where ever you can ! Please ! Post on twitter and post where you have bought this terrible watch , even if it is only to warn other people and maybe to shake up fitbit . They cannot get away with this bad costumer service . They are leaving us standing in the cold , trying to push us over here where nobody will listen !

[whybenorm]

The reviews have definitely changed tone since I bought mine.  Now it's 50% are a 3 star or less, with a whopping 33% a 1 star rating.  "Stopped working" and "stopped syncing" are two of the most repeated phrases along with saying fitbit community very slow to respond.  If it had this kind of review profile when I bought mine, I definitely would not have bought it.  Fitbit will reap what it has sown for ignoring it's customers and not fixing the problems.

[charbeck49]

Size of font and short screen time are enormous problems for me. I have been wearing Fitbits since 2014. My last fitbit was a Blaze. I loved it, until the battery began dying after just a few hours. I read all the info about the Charge3 and thought it would be a good replacement. Unfortunately, I can't read anything beyond the time without my reading glasses...and there's not even enough time to get them on before the screen times out...not that I carry them when running. Just sayin'. I really looked forward to the Charge 3, but am extremely disappointed. I still have time to return it, but not sure what a better choice would be. And I hate being without my tracker. Please update the screen so those of us who need reading glasses can actually see it. By the way, not everyone who needs readers is over 40. I started wearing them in high school. 

[Daykin]

This has now become a matter of complaint about the poor customer care (or
interest) by Fitbit and I suggest that should be the thrust of our actions.

[Sammie1966]

Return while you still can !! This item is running already over 1 year ! Fit bit wil do nothing about the screen time issue !